Ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous computing, UbiComp short, (English ) or Rechnerallgegenwart, occasionally also omnipresent and ubiquitous computing, refers to the ubiquity ( Syn: ubiquity, ubiquity engl. ) Of computerized information processing (EDP).
The term was first used in 1988 by Mark Weiser and marked in his essay The Computer for the 21st Century 1991. After his vision (staff) will disappear computer as individual units and are replaced by 'intelligent objects'. Instead of, as hitherto, computer and internet are the subject of human attention itself, to support the upcoming so-called " Internet of Things" people in their activities imperceptibly; should it ever smaller computer assist, without distracting him or even noticed.
Development
Already today the PC less and less in the center. The (mobile) Internet is gaining in importance. According to Friedemann Mattern, the current decade can be characterized by the fact that the Internet spreads with mobile applications through its classical domain addition.
"In the 21st century the technology revolution will move into the everyday, the small and the invisible. "
"In the 21st century, the technological revolution will be the everyday, small and invisible. "
After the first era of centralized mainframes, which were served by many scientists as the second era of PCs that each user then assigned their own computer, ubiquitous computing can be described as the third computer era in which embedded many computers for each person are networked in the area and form a "network of things ".
Computer within the meaning of ubiquitous computing communicate mostly through a mobile ad hoc network. In this way, it can also form a distributed system.
Criticism
Ubiquitous Computing poses problems in data protection. Monitoring can be done particularly low and inconspicuous with techniques such as RFID. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research Council therefore submitted as part of the Innovation and Technology Analysis, a study on technology assessment of ubiquitous computing in order that and with the name " Technology Assessment Ubiquitous Computing and Informational self-determination " ( TAUCIS ) by the Independent Centre for Privacy Protection Schleswig -Holstein was the Institute for Economic computer science at the Humboldt University of Berlin created and released in the fall of 2006.
Energy consumption, resource consumption and waste are also cause for criticism. It is difficult to estimate what amount of energy calls for the additional technology in the production and operation, how many resources are tied there and what happens to the trash, or can be recycled as well as packages with an RFID chip.
Another issue are the health consequences: on the one hand, the direct effects on the body due to electromagnetic fields and the materials used. And on the other hand, the indirect effects, such as when medical devices are disturbed.